The benevolent banner., 1887-10-15
What History Shows as to Women HaV-
ing Administrative Ability.

What History Shows to Women HaV-
ing Administrative Ability.
l have been much impressed, in read
inc historical studies of nations with
which we are little acquainted, at the
frequency with which | came across
instances Of high administrative abil-
ity on the part of women. shown un-
der circumstances where we have little |
reason to look for it. Irecently stun
bled upon an instance in the history OF
China at the present time.
Some fourteen years ago, the En-
peror Tung Chi died without issue, and
4 council Of Princes chose the present
Emperor, Kwang Hsu, child three
wears Of age, as his successor. The
management of the empire during his
minority passed into the hands Of two
Empresses dowager-the mother and
aunt, respectively, Of the deceased
monarch. The two sisters, as CO.
regents, carried on the Government
with unusual vigor and success till
1881, when one of them. the empress
of the Eastern Palace" died. leaving
the whole power in the hands of her
sister, Tzu Hsi, Empress Of the West
ern Palace" Now the instances
| would be rare in which the absolute
power over a vast empire could be
shared equally between two men, with
out harm to the efficiency Of the Gov
ernment. History shows that double
rulerships, as we'll as triumvirantes, are
ant to prove disastrous in their conse-
ouences, and it is evidence Of much un-
selfshness as well as ability upon the
part of these ladies, that their joint
rule should be successful.
But the survivors, reign has been
even more distinguished, and read IN
General Wilson's recent work on
China that ''it is asserted by the best
informed foreigners in Pekin that she
has proved herself to be the ablest
ruler of China since the days of Kien-
lung, whose reign was contempora-
neous with the life of George Washing
ton. She is ffty-three years of age,
and is said to give the closest personal
attention to public business. She has
never been seen by foreign official,
and, so far as is known, takes no no.
tice or account of their doings. Yet
she is supposed to be aliberal, or to IN
cline toward liberalism and progress
in her ideas She has seen the entire
country restored to peace and compar-
ative prosperity under her rule, and hel
dominion, at the surrender of it to hel
ward, on the 9th of February, 1887
: was undisputed to the very outermos
: limits of the empire,
: And yet the women Of China arr
! cut off from educational advantage:
+ equal to those of men. they are kept il
Oriental seclusion from early youth
and less ought to be expected Of then
than of men. Yet the eXperince o
t China seems to be the same as that o
l other countries. In a few cases wher
y women have been invested with ad
2 ministrative functions, they have, as
$ rule, been eminently successful.
! | have read of late in severa
$ articles written by anti-suffragists
arguments drawn from the suppose
: incapacity Of the female mind for tn
0 higher kinds of intellectual activity
y 1t is repeated ad nauseam, that wome
II have never originated any gre;
e intellectual movement, have nevt
t written any epic or dramatic maste
u pieces, etc. Now, if this were tru
Il it might furnish an argument 0houe
i a very poor one) for passing a la
2 forbidding all women from writir
IL epic or dramatic poetry and origina
le ing great intellectual movements; b
% it would not seem to be good arg
IS ment for excluding her from admin
TO trative duties, which are fields of us
Ell fulness, for which she has shown
IN special aptitude wherever she h
NJ been tried; yet, these are the on
s domains from which she is eXclud
a. to-day by the inconsistency of leg
D. lation framed wholly by the other Sc
u9 -UIIlidm d. FOulkc, IN Homdn'S J0a